On this Day, in 1948: the Communist Party took power in Czechoslovakia
On February 25, 1948, the Communist Party, with Soviet backing, assumed undisputed control over the government of Czechoslovakia, marking theContinue Reading
Tag: Communism
Reviewing Killing Auntie by Andrzej Bursa
The first and only novel of Andrzej Bursa, Killing Auntie, tells the absurd story of a character who is all too familiarContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1848: Marx and Engels’ Communist Manifesto was published
On February 21, 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published The Communist Manifesto, one of the world’s most influential politicalContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1846: the Kraków uprising broke out in the Polish “Stolen Lands”
On February 20, 1846, inspired by the revolutionary ideals of the exiles who fled the Polish “Stolen Lands”, the KrakówContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1965: Beat poet Allen Ginsberg paid a legendary impromptu visit to Prague
On February 18, 1965, American poet and leading figure of the Beat Generation Allen Ginsberg landed in Prague for anContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1989: the Polish Round Table Talks began in Warsaw
On February 6, 1989, the Polish Round Table Talks began in Warsaw between the ruling communist authorities and the bannedContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1969: Czech student Jan Palach self-immolated in Prague
On January 16, 1969, 20-year-old Czech student Jan Palach self-immolated on Prague’s Wenceslas Square to protest against the crushing ofContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1945: the Red Army launched the Vistula–Oder Offensive
On January 12, 1945, the Red Army launched the massive Vistula–Oder Offensive into German-occupied Poland, which saw the Soviet forcesContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1977: Charter 77 was published in Czechoslovakia
On January 6, 1977, motivated by the arrest of members of the psychedelic band Plastic People of the Universe, theContinue Reading
CineClub: Ida (2013), by Pawel Pawlikowski
Revisiting old classics, discovering hidden gems and exploring the contemporary movie scene: every month, Kafkadesk’s CineClub brings you new insightsContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1968: the Prague Spring began with the election of Alexander Dubček
On January 5, 1968, Slovak reformist Alexander Dubček was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ), andContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1990: Lech Wałęsa became Poland’s first freely elected president in 64 years
On December 22, 1990, the leader of the Solidarity movement, Lech Wałęsa, became Poland’s first freely elected president since 1926Continue Reading
On this Day, in 1981: martial law was imposed in Poland
On December 13, 1981, in a televised speech addressed to the entire nation, General Wojciech Jaruzelski announced the introduction of martialContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1956: the ‘Blood in the Water’ match between Hungary and the USSR ended in chaos
On December 6, 1956, political tension between Hungary and the Soviet Union boiled over during a hard-fought water polo OlympicContinue Reading
What is the history of ice hockey in the Czech Republic?
Prague, Czech Republic – Ice hockey traditionally thought of as born in Canada, has universal appeal. Canadians are far fromContinue Reading